The inhabitants of Andover and the neighbouring villages of Clatford and Wherwell (where it transpires deceased was intimately known) were thrown into a state of intense excitement on Friday when it became known that a young man who was killed by the 9 o’clock train that morning, and on whose person was found the name and address of H Gray, 5 Stamford Road, Feltham, was none other then a respectable and smart young man who for several years had been employed by the Post Office officials at Andover as the rural postman to Clatford and Wherwell, and who also spent several hours every day in the employ of Lady Agneta Montagu, of Wherwell Priory. The deceased was Frederick Mills, residing in Andover. He was born and spent several years of his early life at Wherwell with his father and mother, the latter being still alive and residing in Andover, and upon whom the awful intelligence of her son’s sad death came as an unexpected and severe blow.

The chief cause which led to this dreadful fatality, if current reports are to be relied on, was “Drink.” Deceased, as postman, received wages averaging 19s a week. He was suspended on Monday last by the postmaster at Andover for alleged defalcations, and his conduct then became more reckless than ever. He appears to have absconded from Andover during the early part of the week, and the last intelligence was that he was seen previous to his rash act in the neighbourhood of Bunker’s Hut, about a mile from Hurstbourne Station, where the shocking event occurred.

The inquest was opened at the early hour of eight o’clock on Monday morning, at the Hurstbourne Siding Station, on the London and South Western Railway, before Mr Spencer Clarke, County Coroner.

The jury returned a verdict that deceased met with his death by placing himself in the way of a passing train.